Samples from eligible infants will be collected and stored for future comparisons. These samples include stool specimens from a messy diaper twice weekly, urine samples from cotton balls in the diaper once weekly, a small sample of stomach fluid once a week just prior to a feeding obtained through the feeding tube, a sample of mom's milk once a week, left-over blood from lab draws, and a sample of saliva on one occasion.
The analysis of key specimens from this cohort will allow us to study the impact of the bacteria in the intestines on outcomes like growth and common diseases of premature infants.
